What is arguably the first mainstream rap film, Wild Style arrived in theaters in the spring of 1983. The movie debuted on March 18. It earned $15,122 USD at the box office. The movie is about a Bronx graffiti artist and features Fab 5 Freddy, Dondi, Rock Steady Crew, and other hip hop originators from the early daws of rap. It has since become a classic in the rap genre.
The movie was filmed in 1981, completed a year later, and finally released in 1983 in NYC. By 1984 it made it to various other large US cities. Raymond, the main character, was played by real-life street artist Lee Quiñones known for his full subway car murals.
Read: Wild Style, written, directed and produced by Charlie Ahearn, was the first Hip-Hop movie